Lee Rolls to Gold at Muhamet Malo Ranking Series; U.S. Finishes Day One with Six Medals
Share:
by David Gerhart, USA Wrestling
Spencer Lee hand raise at 2025 World Championships
TIRANA, Albania – 2024 Olympic silver medalist Spencer Lee captured his second gold medal of the year with his win at 57 kg at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series. Lee finished the day going 4-0 with each win coming via technical fall at Tirana’s Feti Borova Olympic Park.
Lee continued his tear in the 57 kg division, where he needed just 1:28 of mat time to defeat UWW’s Ramiz Gamzatov, 10-0, in the final. Throughout Lee’s four matches in Albania, only one went into the second period, and two matches ended within the first minute.
Lee has made a home on the top step of the podium in Ranking Series events, as he has won gold at all three of his Rankings Series appearances.
Along with gold from Lee, Alec Pantaleo made a finals appearance and earned silver at 70 kg.
Looking for his third career gold medal at Ranking Series events, Pantaleo came up just short in a 3-2 decision against 2024 Olympian Ernazar Akmataliev of Kyrgyzstan. With the score sitting at 3-2, Pantaleo was originally awarded a takedown in a late scramble to take the lead. However, a challenge from the opposition negated the points, and two-time World medalist Akmataliev hung for the 3-2 win.
The quartet of Austin DeSanto (61 kg), Joey McKenna (65 kg), Vito Arujau (65 kg) and Quincy Monday (74 kg) collected bronze medals for Team USA.
With six members of the U.S. competing for bronze, the first matchup was an All-American bout at 61 kg where DeSanto scored an early four-point maneuver and never looked back to earn an 8-0 decision over Nathan Tomasello. DeSanto now has three medals in the early portion of the year after winning gold at the Zagreb Open and Henri Deglane Grand Prix of France.
In separate bronze medal matches at 65 kg, both McKenna and Arujau rebounded from semifinal defeats. McKenna shutout Georgia’s Nika Zakashvili, who won bronze at the Zagreb Open, 7-0. 2023 World champion Arujau rallied from a 6-1 deficit to pick an 11-7 victory over two-time Pan American medalist Joshua Kramer of Ecuador.
Monday rounded out the American medal winners with a late offensive flurry against age-group World champion Giorgi Elbakidze of Georgia. With the match tied at two, Monday scored seven points in the final 75 seconds of the match to secure the 9-2 decision.
Kyle Dake capped off action for the U.S. at 86 kg, where his attempt for a late takedown came just after time expired. After a challenge, he finished fifth after a 4-1 setback to 2025 World bronze medalist Arsenii Dzhioev of Azerbaijan.
The 2026 Muhamet Malo Ranking Series in Tirana continues tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. local time/4:30 a.m. ET. Thursday’s schedule features the final group of men’s freestyle (79-92-97-125 kg) and the first group of women’s freestyle (50-55 kg).
A live stream of the Muhamet Malo will be available to the U.S. audience through FloWrestling. Brackets and updated results will be hosted on UWW Arena.
Men’s Freestyle Results
Gold – Spencer Lee (United States)
Silver – Ramiz Gamzatov (UWW)
Bronze – Horst Lehr (Germany)
Bronze – Islam Bazarganov (Azerbaijan)
5th – Atish Todkar (India)
5th – Akshay Dhere (India)
7th – Roberti Dingashvili (Georgia)
8th – Muhammet Karavus (Türkiye)
9th – Yusuf Demir (Türkiye)
10th – Darin Cruz (Puerto Rico)
Gold – Spencer Lee (United States) tech. fall Ramiz Gamzatov (UWW), 10-0
Bronze – Horst Lehr (Germany) tech. fall Atish Todkar (India), 19-8
Bronze – Islam Bazarganov (Azerbaijan) dec. Akshay Dhere (India), 9-2
Gold – Zavur Uguev (UWW)
Silver – Chermen Tavitov (UWW)
Bronze – Austin DeSanto (United States)
Bronze – Zelimkhan Abakarov (Albania)
5th – Nathan Tomasello (United States)
5th – Merey Bazarbayev (Kazakhstan)
7th – Leomid Colesnic (Moldova)
8th – Mike McGee (United States)
9th – Azatberdi Ashyrgulyyev (Turkmenistan)
10th – Ramaz Turmanidze (Georgia)
Gold – Zavur Uguev (UWW) dec. Chermen Tavitov (UWW), 5-2
Bronze – Austin DeSanto (United States) dec. Nathan Tomasello (United States), 8-0
Bronze – Zelimkhan Abakarov (Albania) dec. Merey Bazarbayev (Kazakhstan), 3-0
Gold – Sujeet (India)
Silver – Rashid Babazade (Azerbaijan)
Bronze – Joey McKenna (United States)
Bronze – Vito Arujau (United States)
5th – Nika Zakashvili (Georgia)
5th – Joshua Kramer (Ecuador)
7th – Shannon Hanna II (Bahamas)
8th – Endrio Avdyli (Albania)
9th – Mikyay Naim (Bulgaria)
10th – Mikheili Berdznishvili (Georgia)
Gold – Sujeet (India) tech. fall Rashid Babazade (Azerbaijan), 10-0
Bronze – Joey McKenna (United States) dec. Nika Zakashvili (Georgia), 7-0
Bronze – Vito Arujau (United States) dec. Joshua Kramer (Ecuador), 11-7
Gold – Ernazar Akmataliev (Kyrgyzstan
Silver – Alec Pantaleo (United States)
Bronze – Zalkarbek Tabaldiev (Kyrgyzstan)
Bronze – Ibragim Ibragimov (UWW)
5th – Austin Gomez (Mexico)
5th – Maiis Aliyev (Kazakhstan)
7th – Vasile Diacon (Moldova)
8th – Ridge Lovett (United States)
9th – Islam Dudaev (Albania)
10th – Kaloyan Atanasov (Bulgaria)
Gold – Ernazar Akmataliev (Kyrgyzstan) dec. Alec Pantaleo (United States), 3-2
Bronze – Zalkarbek Tabaldiev (Kyrgyzstan) inj. def. Austin Gomez (Mexico)
Bronze – Ibragim Ibragimov (UWW) dec. Maiis Aliyev (Kazakhstan), 5-1
Gold – Yones Emamichoghaei (Iran)
Silver – Orozbek Toktomambetov (Kyrgyzstan)
Bronze – Quincy Monday (United States)
Bronze – Inalbek Sheriev (UWW)
5th – Giorgi Elbakidze (Georgia)
5th – Magomedrasul A Asluev (Bahrain)
7th – Will Lewan (United States)
8th – Yegor Anchugin (Kazakhstan)
9th – Yemur Nurgazy (Kazakhstan)
10th – Vatan Annaorazov (Turkmenistan)
Gold – Yones Emamichoghaei (Iran) dec. Orozbek Toktomambetov (Kyrgyzstan), 5-0
Bronze – Quincy Monday (United States) dec. Giorgi Elbakidze (Georgia), 9-2
Bronze – Inalbek Sheriev (UWW) inj. def. Magomedrasul A Asluev (Bahrain)
Gold – Ibragim Kadiev (UWW)
Silver – Georgios Kougioumtsid (Georgia)
Bronze – Bolat Sakayev (Kazakhstan)
Bronze – Arsenii Dzhioev (Azerbaijan)
5th – Alp Begenjov (Turkmenistan)
5th – Kyle Dake (United States)
7th – Vladimeri Gamkrelidze (Georgia)
8th – Christopher Foca Mejia (Dominican Republic)
9th – Osman Gocen (Türkiye)
10th – Khidir A Saipudinov (Bahrain)
Gold – Ibragim Kadiev (UWW) tech. fall Georgios Kougioumtsid (Georgia), 15-4
Bronze – Bolat Sakayev (Kazakhstan) dec. Alp Begenjov (Turkmenistan), 10-6
Bronze – Arsenii Dzhioev (Azerbaijan) dec. Kyle Dake (United States), 4-1
WIN Atish Todkar (India), 10-0
WIN Roberti Dingashvili (Georgia), 15-4
WIN Horst Lehr (Germany), 14-4
WIN Ramiz Gamzatov (UWW), 10-0
LOSS Islam Bazarganov (Azerbaijan), 5-0
61 kg – Nathan Tomasello (Riverside, Calif./Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC/Titan Mercury WC), 5th place
WIN Rahul (India), 4-2
WIN Ersjan Kashiku (Albania), forfeit
LOSS Zavur Uguev (UWW), 7-1
WIN Simone Piroddu (Italy), 13-2
LOSS Austin DeSanto (United States), 8-0
WIN Bekzat Almaz Uulu (Kyrgyzstan), 14-11
WIN Meirambek Kartbay (Kazakhstan), 3-2
WIN Mike McGee (United States), 10-5
LOSS Zavar Uguev (UWW), 5-0
WIN Nathan Tomasello (United States), 8-0
WIN Caleb Smith (Puerto Rico), 12-2
LOSS Austin DeSanto (United States), 10-5
WIN Kumar Mohit (India), 10-0
WIN Gamzatgadshi Khalidov (Hungary), 7-2
WIN Umidjon Jalolov (Uzbekistan), 3-0
LOSS Sujeet (India), 11-0
WIN Nika Zakashvili (Georgia), 7-0
WIN Krzysztof Bienkowski (Poland), 6-0
WIN Assylzhan Yessengeldi (Kazakhstan), forfeit
WIN Shannon Hanna II (Bahamas), 4-0
LOSS Rashid Babazade (Azerbaijan), 18-15
WIN Joshua Kramer (Ecuador), 11-7
LOSS Maiis Aliyev (Kazakhstan), 5-5
WIN Austin Gomez (Mexico), inj. def., 2:32
WIN Zalkarbek Tabaldiev (Kyrgyzstan), 10-0
LOSS Ernazar Akmataliev (Kyrgyzstan), 3-2
WIN Adilet Akylbekov (Kyrgyzstan), 10-0
WIN Turan Bayramov (Azerbaijan), 5-1
LOSS Orozbek Toktomambetov (Kyrgyzstan), 5-1
WIN Kanan Heybatov (Azerbaijan), inj. def., 0:22
WIN Giorgi Elbakidze (Georgia), 9-2
LOSS Will Lewan (United States), 1-1
WIN Yahya Thomas (United States), 1-1
LOSS Yones Emamichoghaei (Iran), 7-2
LOSS Inalbek Sheriev (UWW), 12-2
LOSS Ibragim Kadiev (UWW), 11-4
WIN Shane Jones (Puerto Rico), 11-0
WIN Khidir A Saipudinov (Bahrain), 10-4
LOSS Arsenii Dzhioev (Azerbaijan), 4-1
